Spring-wheel.



H. K. ALLEN.

SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1914.

1, 1 21 ,600. Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Swowwlioz HfiROLD K.ALLEN wi/l neoom lad/t me 1 M pm/ am,

H. K. ALLEN.

SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1914.

1,121,600. Patented Dec. 22.1914.

2 S'HEETSSHBET Z.

he? a mm STATES PATENT orruo I accompanying drawings. 1 1O HAROLDK.'.AI:LE1 T, IBELCH ERTQWN, MASSACHUSETTS.

f SPRING-WHEE L.

To all whom it may concern ciency 'of wheels of that type commonlyknownin the art as resilienthub wheels.

The inventionhas for a more particular object to provide an improvedarrangement and mounting'of the cushioning springs in the hub of thewheel which normally act to maintain the wheel rim in concentric relation to the hub, and will. admit of the driving power beingdirectlyappliedto the hub of the wheel without liability of distorting 'or inany manner impairing the efficiency of the springs.

The invention has fora further object to provide an improved packingwhereby the entrance of dust and grit to the interior of the wheel huband its collection upon the springs is effectually prevented.

The invention has for a more specific ob ject to provide a retainingring for the plurality of hub springs which is of improvedconstruction,said ring containing radially and circumferentially arranged series ofsprings.

It is a further object "of my invention to produce a spring wheel of theabove character,- the several parts of which are ofvery simple form andmay beproduced at small cost, said parts being also capable of easy andquick assemblage in their proper co-' operative positions ordisassemblage when necessary in order to obtain accessthereto for-thepurpose of repair.

With the above and" other objects in View as will become apparent as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions,combinations and arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafterfully describe and claim. I

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be, had tothefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in

- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a spring Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Dec. 22,1914.

Application filed January 28, 1914'. Serial N 0. 815,003.

wheel embodying my invention in the preferred form. Fig. 2 is anenlarged side elevation of the hub with the face plate removed. ig. 3 isa section taken on the line 3 -3 of F 1g. 1. Fig. ais a section taken onthe line H of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section taken onthe line 55 of Fig. 3.Fig. 6 is a detail fragmentary view of one ofthe spoke connectingplates.

,Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 designates the hub sleeve orthimble which is formed with a central rectangular body portion 6 andthe reduced cylindrical exterlorly threaded end portions 7 By reducingtheends of the hub sleeve or thimble annular shoulders 8 are produced,and projecting from said shoulders keylugs 9 are integrally formed uponthe periphery of the reducedyends of the sleeve. 7

10 and 11 indicate the inner and outer face plates respectively of thehub, each of said plates'being centrally provided with an opening ofsufficient diameter to be engaged overthe reduced end 7 of the hub.

,Aslot or recess 12 is formed in the edge of thisopening to receive thekey lug 9 whereby the face plate is looked upon the hub sleeve forturning movement therewith.

Lock nuts 13 are provided upon the opposite ends of the sleeve to securethe face plates in position thereon.

' The spokes'lt of the wheel are fixed in any desired manner at theirouter ends to the wheel rim and the inner ends thereof are suitablysecured upon the periphery of the spring retaining ring 15. Itis ofcourse understood that the wheel spokes extend radially from the ring 15in the usual manner. These spokes are held in their relative positionsby the clamping plates 16, said plates-being engaged upon opposite sidesof the spokes and connected together at their outer edgesby means ofbolts 17.

As an additional" connecting means for the spoke engaging plates screws18 are employed, said screws being provided with heads upon one of theirends which are countersunk in the face of one of the plates 16. Each ofthese plates is formed with an outwardly projecting annular flange 19the purpose of which will be later explained. i

The inner edge of each of the spoke engaging plates 16 upon the outerface of the plate is rabbeted or recessed as at 20, which, together'withthe spring retaining ring 15 iii produces annular grooves to receive the"enlarged portions of the metal packing rings 2].. These rings occupythe space between the edges of the plates 16, and the opposed faces ofthe face plates 10 and 11. Heavy felt packing rings 22 are arrangedbetween the rings 21 and the outer edges of the plates 10'and 11, saidpacking rings being plates and the disposed between the hub plates 16. tv I The retaining ring is formed with a plurality of inwardly extendingdiametrically opposed bearing arms 23. Each of cumferentially arranged vsprings 28 are engaged. These springs-are these arms is formed upon itsinner end with a socket or seat 2% for the outer end of a radiallydisposed'spring: 25. The inner end'of this spring is securedto one faceof the rectangular portion 6 of the hub sleeve.

Upon the back plate 11 of the hub, the bean.

ing blocks 26 are integrally formed. These blocks are of substantiallyrectangular form and are providedupon opposite sideswith cylindricalstuds or projections 27 Over,

these projections the inner ends of the cirserles of 0011 arrangedinpairs between the bearing arms 23 of the retaining ring and engage attheir outer ends against the obliquely-disposed "faces 29 ofsaidarms. 1v

The face plateslO and 11 of the Wheel hub are connected together andheld against relative movement by means of the :transverse bolts 30which extend through coinciding openings in said plates and the bear-ving blocks '26. It is, however, to'be noted that the blocks 26 do notextend entirely across the space between said face, plates but areslightlyspacedfrom the inner 'face 7 strip of felt 22 is adhesively orotherwise secured upon theouter side of the plate 16. The springretaining member 15 on the inner ends of ,thespokes 14 upon the oppositeedges of which the metal packing rings are engaged is now-placed inposition. The springs 25 and 28 are then-arranged between the bearingarms and the hub sleeve and be tween said arms and the bearing blocksonthe plate 11. The outer face plate 10 ;is lastly arranged in positionand the jbolts'BO inserted through the coinciding openings in said plateand the blocks 26. After tightening the nuts 32 upon the ends of said;bolts to clamp theplates in position'and' adjusting the j am nuts 13 onthe ends of the hul sleeve the wheel is in condition foru'se. It

' is of course understood that the washers '31 p are arranged upon thebolt. 30 between the bearing blocks 26 and the'hub plate 10.

When the packing rings 21 and, the felt packing 22 becomes worn, these:washers may be removed and the nuts 32 ad usted upon the bolts 30to'force the plate .11 in- 'wardly and maintain a tight engagement ofthe felt packing stripswith the outer faces.

of the spoke clamping plates 16.

In the operationof the device, the radially jars through the wheel.tothel'bo'dy of-the disposed springs 25 whichfare interposed betweenthe retaining member 15' and the hub sleeve yieldingly maintain the rim"of thewheel in .concentricirelati-on tothe hub; and absorb radialthrust, thereby effectually V preventing, the transmission :of' shocks 1and Y o vehicle. The springs28 which are arranged a 1 vin the retainingmember 15 at'angles 'ofsubstantiallyaf) yieldingly hold the wheel rimagainst circumferential movement'with re- I 13131011 to th'ehub' andthrough the medium .of said springs the driving tractive-force s so ieffectually utilized for the propulsion'of the.

vehicle; These "springs admit of the application of power; directlyntothe wheel hub but at the same time they absorb pressureapplied.tangentially against the periphery of the wheel. 'By'the provision ofthe; ann'ular flanges 19 upon thepspokej clamping, plates 16 and thefelt packing" strips 22; the entrance of dust .and dirt to'the interiorof the wheel hub isjprevented.

7 From the foregoing, description taken: in connection with theaccompanying draw-1' ings, itis believed that the construction, mannervof operation" and several advantages of my invention will be clearlyand fully are of exceedingly simple form and maybe produced at, smallmanufacturing .cost; The 4 wheel may be also very easily and quicklyassembled and by simply removing the outer face plate 10 of the wheelhub, access may be had to the springs 25 and 28 so that any one or moreof said springs can be readily removed and replaced for new'ones. 'Byarranging the springs and the hub offthe wheel as above .described," a:maximum of =underst0od. TheIseveral parts ofthewheel if elasticity isobtainedw Itfwill,v however, be V understood that in wheels designed foruse upon heavy automobile trucks or other purposes the springs may bemultiplied in numher, the general disposition-.or arrangement of thesame,"howev'er,being adhered to. It

is to be further understood thatin putting the invention into: practicaluse I contem-o plate resorting to various other'minor'modifications inthe form, proportion and arrangementof the several elements that may bedeemed advisable in accordance with the, particular use for which thewheel is designed, and I reserve the privilege of resorting to all suchmechanical changes as may fairly fall within the spirit and scope of theinvention as claimed.

What is claimed is: 1. In a spring wheel, the combination of a hubsleeve, face'plates keyed upon the opposite ends of said sleeve, aspring-retaining member secured .to the 'inner' ends of the v wheelspokes radially movable between said with the bearing blocks and thearms of said retaining member, annular plates se-I cured upon theopposite sides of the wheel spokes, packing rings secured to the innerfaces ofnthe face plates and engaging said annular plates, boltsextending through the bearing blocks and the face plate which is opposedthereto, and nuts threaded upon the n ends of said bolts for adjustingsaid face plates to compensate for wear of the packing rings andmaintain the same in frictional contactwith. the annular spoke plates.

. 2. In a spring wheel, the combination of a hub sleeve, face plateskeyed upon the opposite ends of said sleeve, one of said face plateshaving bearing blocks integrally formed therewith, and spaced from theopposite plate,a spring retaining ring carried by the wheel proper anddisposed for radial and circumferential movement between said faceplates, said ring being provided with diametrically opposed inwardlyextending arms each provided with a plurality of bear- ;ing sockets, aseries of radially disposed springs engaged in the corresponding socketsof said arms and bearing at their inner ends agalnst the said sleeve, anadditional series ofzcircumferentially disposed springs seated in theremaining sockets ofsaid arms at one of their ends and engaged at theirother ends with the bearing blocks upon the face plate, and packingrings arranged between the edges of said bearing ring and the outeredges of said face plates. U In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix mypresenceof two witnesses.

HAROLD K. ALLEN. Witnesses:

Gno. H, B. GREEN, RoswELL ALLEN.

signature, in the Copies of this patent may be obtained for five centseach, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. a

